Family name origins & meanings
- English : nickname for a strong, aggressive, bull-like man, from Middle English bul(l)e, bol(l)e. Occasionally, the name may denote a keeper of a bull. Compare Bulman.
- German (mainly northern) : from a byname for a cattle breeder, keeper, or dealer. Compare South German Ochs.
- South German : nickname for a short fat man, a variant of Bolle, or a nickname for a man with the physical characteristics of a bull.